YI 4K+ Action Camera, Sports Cam with 4k/60fps Resolution, EIS,Voice Control, 12MP Raw Image

The media could not be loaded.  The video quality I was getting out of the YI 4K+ was so poor, I became desperate to get rid of it. Amazon had to take over the situation in order to refund my money since I was getting nowhere with YI Technology's customer support.Here's what happened:I don't live in the USA. Returning items for me is a logistics nightmare and it's also very expensive. So I do A LOT of research before buying anything on Amazon. 99% of the time I've had no issues.I bought the YI 4k+ after reading many reviews and watching several hours of video reviews and footage shot by ordinary people.Before buying a video camera, it's important to watch videos shot by "normal" people, since those are the type of results we are going to get out of a camera. Promo videos shot by professional cinematographers do not reflect the quality of video that the average consumer is going to get.I used to own a GoPro 4 and I never had a problem with it until an unfortunate accident destroyed it. I was going to get a new GoPro, but while researching cameras I noticed so much hype for this YI 4K+ camera, that it called my attention. So I did further research, fell victim to the hype and bought it.Right out of the box I noticed that the video from the YI 4K+ was very dark, grainy and the red color was oversaturated. My skin looked as if I had been under the sun all day long for 2 days straight!I always shoot video outdoors during daylight hours. I never had a problem with the GoPro, or the 2 Iphones and a Motorola phone I use to film my videos. So lighting was not the problem.I've been running a youtube channel for the past couple of years:youtube/CorcalTreesThe channel is about Bonsai trees.Over a period of almost 2 years, by trial and error and tips given to me by my brother, who's a professional film maker, I have slowly learned about camera resolutions, frame rates, shutter speeds, white balance, exposure compensation, video editing, color correcting and other post production stuff.I am still very far from getting pro results but at least I know what to look for in a camera and how to tinker with the manual settings.So when the automatic settings from the YI 4K+ weren't producing acceptable results for me, I started trying the manual settings to see if I could find that sweet spot.This camera will allow you to tinker with the following image settings:Video resolutionFrames per secondShutter speedWhite balanceISOSharpnessField of viewFish eye lens correctionAuto Low light compensationEach of these settings offers several different options to select from. The possible permutations of settings are endless.I spent 10 days trying out different combinations of settings in order to see if I could make this camera work for me. I was even willing to change my shooting schedule in order to accommodate this camera.NOTHING worked.All of the camera functions seemed to work fine. Battery life was OK. Quite good actually. I had no SD card problems since I bought the best and fastest brand name I could get. But the video quality was always poor. Dark, grainy and oversaturated reds.After all this trouble, I gave up and decided to contact tech support.The second part of this nightmare began.I wrote a detailed account of everything I had tried and attached screenshots of my results.It took tech support 4 days and 2 emails from me to respond.They didn't bother to carefully read my detailed email and probably thought I was just another customer who didn't bother to read the instructions manual. They basically sent me a canned response politely treating me like I was a child.I wrote a 3rd email to them with more screenshots, but the response was the same. They politely told me I didn't know what I was doing.You can read my emails and YI Technology's responses in the video review I uploaded with this written review.After being treated like a child for the second time I asked them for a refund.I was told that an arrangement for this would be made at a later point in time.I gave up on YI technology's customer service as well after this.I contacted Amazon and told them everything that had happened with this purchase and fortunately they took full responsibility. Amazon gave me a refund and even reimbursed me for the courier service to return the camera from my country back to the USA.I'm not just another youtuber attempting to get free stuff. I paid full price for this camera and what I got was a nightmare instead.YI Technology, if you want me to change the video review and this written review...Send me a working camera!I promise to make an honest review of the YI 4K+I'll be waiting for your response...

Summary:Good-Very nice video quality-Great range of video resolutions-Nice UI for settings (much better than my Hero 4 Silver)Needs Improvement:-The "Flat" color profile looks like it just turns down saturation. Its not nearly as nice as GoPro's Flat profile that boosts Dynamic Range and increase bit rate.-External mic is Mono only, not stereo which it could be.The Bad:-Audio is horrible. It sounds like you are in a cave and what audio is recorded is very tinny. Very little to no bass, even with an external mic.-It will randomly change modes. I will be recording video and after I stop recording (using voice control), it will change to photo/burst on its own. Very odd and annoying.In Detail:I am a video pro who has used a number of cameras from high end DSLRs to action cameras like this for my videos. The action cameras I've used include: Sony AS30, Sony AS100, GoPro Hero 4 Silver, GoPro Hero 4 Black, Yi 4K, and now the Yi 4K+. They all have their pros and cons. Sony tends to have the best cameras, but that form factor doesn't work with gimbals...so they are out for me. But back to the Yi 4K+.My main use for these cameras is recording MTB videos using an Evo SS gimbal. The fast action and environment present some unique challenges for action cam's audio and video recording. How does the Yi 4K+ fare?It is a good camera with a nice set of features. However several of them seem unfinished or like they cut corners.Video:Video quality is very good. I have no complaints about the overall image quality. I could pixel peep and compare to others, but they are so close this would be a waste of time. I have looked at YouTube videos from other's and they say the GoPro is better, but you have to zoom in to 400% on a still image. Given my videos are action, viewers are likely to never notice a difference and certainly not say, "Too bad the image quality is poor". Quite the opposite, they think it looks great. I do have a few gripes, however.The "Flat" video setting isn't really worth using. It adds a very strange tint and reduces saturation. GoPro's Flat setting is much better. It adds more Dynamic Range and increases bit rate. I can get much better looking video using GoPro's flat vs the standard GoPro setting. On the Yi I use the standard setting because the Flat doesn't make it look better and only make post processing a huge hassle.The resolution options are very good. I have settled on the 4K 4,000x3,000 option. It allows me to adjust the composition in post to make sure I get the shot and still have full 4K resolution.For the video alone, I give it 4 stars.Audio:This is where it really is terrible. The in camera audio is distant and tinny. The stereo is barely functional as both mics seem to pick up nearly the same sound. I wonder if it has one mic but two holes to make it seem like two mics. Having one mic on the side is a problem with gimbals. The mic will pick up the gimbal noise making audio un-usable. You'll want to use external mics for audio.About that...I have a Sony ECM CS3 mic and it too sounds pretty bad. The recorder in the Yi is either very low quality or the firmware is really holding it back. It also can only record mono audio with an external mic, despite the mic I have being stereo. With an external mic the audio is better, much better, but still tinny sounding. Very little bass.The audio settings, Low and High, seem a bit too low and a bit too high. High clips too easily. While low seems to add a gate around -8dB so you don't get anything higher than that. That tends to make the audio sound too narrow. Loud stuff isn't much louder than quieter stuff. If Low didn't max the audio where it does it would be better.For just Audio I give it a 1.Features:The Yi 4K+ has some nice features that set it apart from others.Voice control is very handy and works well. However it could be better. I have to repeat myself a few times and when that mode is on it seems to allow the camera to change modes randomly.Wifi works very well and pairs quickly with the App. However one big issue is if you have your phone's data on it won't show a video preview. You have to turn off cellular data to get the video preview. (iPhone 7 plus is what I use but happens with others too)The on screen user interface is very nice. They get high marks for that.For the features I give it a 3. The wifi/data issue is a big problem for how I use it.Other details to note/rate:One GREAT aspect of this camera is the built in tripod mount. That makes it much easer to attach. no case and adapters needed.The USB-C cover on the other hand is super annoying. It does not stay in place and just flops around. As it hits the camera in use that sound is picked up by the mic. You will need to tape over it to hold it in place.For the extras, I give it a 3 as well. The USB-C cover is such an easy thing to get right...and they got it wrong (with consequences to your audio).Overall its great for casual users and some advanced use. However if you need to get the best quality money can buy, you should consider the Sony options. GoPro if you need the form factor. However then you are dealing with GoPro 5/6 audio issues as well! The best quality is a GoPro 6 with external audio. Most use a Hero 5 Black as a B camera and Senhiesser GoPro mic. However thats a $1,000 dual camera setup. For me this camera with an external mic is good enough (but barely) for my needs. I am considering going back to the GoPro Hero 5 Black. It was just a solid performer. However the 4,000x3000 30fps option of the Yi 4K+ is what keeps me with the Yi...for now.

Sold my GoPro Hero 5 because of sub par stabilization. Had it replaced and replacement still had sub par stabilization and ratting noises inside. Had that one replaced and sold it without even trying it. Not to mention awful technical support. But went out and purchased the GoPro Hero 6 and returned it after one week due to crappy sound quality. Audio quality went from decent from the Hero 5 to worse on the 6. Decided I was pretty much done with GoPro. I had read so much about the Yi but was a little skeptical and after I returned the Hero 6 decided to give it a try. Wow! I'm blown away by this camera. This is what the Hero 5 should have been. Awesome video and stabilization quality. Sound is not the greatest but far better then the Hero 6 in my opinion. The only thing I wish it had is the one button operation that the Hero 5 and 6 had. Push the shutter button to turn on and start recording and when done push the button again to stop recording and turn off camera. During my 3 hour bike rides I still had 75-80 percent battery left. As to the app it transfers the videos rather slow to my iPad so I'm using the GoPro App by taking out the memory card from the Yi and inserting it to my GoPro USB drive. It opens up the GoPro app automatically. I'm then able to transfer the videos to my iPad quicker. The app doesn't auto rotate either. Upgrading the firmware was a breeze as it prompted you when connected to the app via Wi Fi. Other then the app and the one button touch this is a very nice camera. If you've had it with GoPro or looking for your first action camera, do not pass up this one. Good Job Yi.

The media could not be loaded.  I definitely have no doubt on the performance and video quality of this Yi 4k+ action camera. In my opinion, Yi is considered to be the number 2 brand on the market after GoPro. My friend has a GoPro Hero 5, so I just borrow his and compare it against my Yi 4k+.First of all, I have to admit that Yi 4k+ is a product came later than GoPro Hero 5. However, considered it is almost the same (or even lower) cost as the Hero 5, I believe it is fair enough to bring them together. I even went to the electronic store to take a look at the newest GoPro Hero 6 Black(which came later than Yi 4K+), so both 5 & 6 Black will be used to compare with my Yi 4k+.In terms of video quality, Yi 4k+ provides a crispy Ultra HD 4K at 60 frames per second (fps) rate. I tested and prove it when I was hiking at the park, on a sunny day. Be honestly, I would never trust any video with a quality less than 40 fps, because human eyes can tell the lagging of the video if the fps go below 30 fps. The Hero 5 does provide 4k recording at 30 fps, which is barely enough. The Hero 6 Black has a good performance at 60 fps at 4k, which is the same as the Yi 4k+. Thus, I am happy about my action camera, at least it is the same performance as the latest product from its competitor. I reviewed the recorded video clips at the UHD TV, thanks to its Sony lens, the detail of the high-speed moving targets have been captured in most of the environments. Even when the surrounding brightness is not sufficient enough (low light environment), the objects are still clear.The Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) feature of Yi 4k+ is much better than the old action camera of mine (note: my old camera is not GoPro), the video are quite stable when moving in high-speed (yes, I was recording when my friend was driving on highway at 80-100 km/h) . It is almost as good as its major competitor, but still a bit room to improve. Considered I am not doing anything extreme, I am sure I will be okay with my regular activities such as snowboarding, hiking, and cycling (nothing really goes beyond 60km/h…). I think the high quality EIS does make a difference in some extreme or high-speed racing sports, but I am not a pro racer, I am not even going to fully utilize the EIS on Yi 4K+.Touch screen feature on Yi action camera is a really, really handy thing. Instead of pressing all the buttons, I found the touch screen make my life 10 times easier. The user interface is very easy to get familiar and operate with. It shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes to figure out everything, especially there’s a manual can be followed.The build-in Bluetooth and 5GHz wifi connection seems to be a regular feature for most leading brands of action cameras, I am happy that Yi provides such features. What makes me surprise is that I can live stream my videos via my smartphone app: it is absolutely a great feature, but I gotta be careful with my mobile data bandwidth limit lol. The supporting sync App can be found both Android and iOS, via Google Play and AppStore.Recording sound quality is decent, there is a small microphone jack can be connected via the type-c charging port on the side of the camera if needed, but I haven’t got the chance to try it out. The charging, at the other hand, has a fast charging mode due to its type-c port (for those of you who owns a latest Android smartphone/tablet, you know what I mean).Unlike its major competitor, the Yi 4k+ action camera itself is NOT waterproof, so it is necessary to purchase a waterproof case. At this part, I do wish the future product can be more waterproof, or water resistant. However, I am not sure how confident my friend will be diving with his Hero 5… The good thing is that Yi does have a 40 metre waterproof camera case with touching feature, that more or less satisfy some needs of the diving users. I don’t dive, especially not diving all the way to below 40 metres, so I am okay ordering the case and go with it.One other thing I wish the camera can support is a 128 GB micro SD card. It does help if the user can switch less often when recording HD videos, I will probably try to insert one when have a chance to test out whether 128 GB storage is readable by the camera. I will do a follow up on my review once test in the future.As mentioned, I was quite happy with my YI 4k+ action camera. I will recommend it to anyone who’s seeking a great high-end action camera with a relatively reasonable budget.It has been a while since I posted this review... Now just a quick follow up. For those of you who are curious about whether this camera will take 128 GB memory card, the answer is: YES!!!! Yay! My brother got me a 128 GB Sandisk Micro SD card from the Prime Day deals, and this card works perfectly fine with the camera. So, now with the best video quality being 4K Ultra, it records about 2 hours 20 minutes of video. Thank you very much, Amazon! I have to say even though Yi Technology claims the camera supports up to 64 GB memory, the camera instead surprise us with higher capacity supporting!

The picture quality is very good, but i can't get any audio recorded from my external mic (I've tried serveral mics and type c adaptors and they all worked on other devices). I've also looked for answers online, youtube, and tried to get YI customer service, but no success. I'm thinking of returning the unit if i can't get this fixed soon.Video... 5 starsCamera features ... 4 starsUseability ... 4 starsAudio from camera... 3.5 starsAudio external mic ... 0 starsCustomer service... 0 starsI would have given it a 4 star or higher if i could just get this damn external mic going and get a hold of someone from YI customer service.

Small size and one button ease of use promise to make this a staple of my video shoots. Picture quality is great in most light conditions... Not great in really low light scenes. Image stabilization works well...(occasional small tremors on longer videos). Offloading videos to computer is a bit time intensive (perhaps my 3 year old laptop?), but works well.The only minor issue after a couple of weeks of use is the camera's occasional self-flip to burst mode from video mode, seeming all on it's own. It's easy to flip back once noticed, but has caused me to miss some video clips and get a series of stills instead.All in all very pleased so far.

Love the video recording but the audio is horrible so much static it hurts my ears sometimes just watching my own videos, If youre recording things without needing audio this is amazing but when you need the audio to work its just eh. They put so much efford into making a great video camera but they didn't work on the audio as much

The video quality is amazing. I love it. The price is unbeatable too. I would give it a better rate than GoPro. The only issue I found is there is no distortion correction when you record 4K/60fps or 4k/48fps videos (because of the fisheye lens). However, the distortion correction is available for 4k/30fps videos. Voice control works great too. The battery works for about 1 hour if you take video continuously (the camera will get hot by then). The battery charging takes about 40 minutes. Overall it's a great action camera. I highly recommend this camera.